


clinging to your late night courage

by stefonzolesky



Category: Role Models (2008)
Genre: Gen, augie is gay! i love he, wheeler is bi! i love he
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 15:21:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14115219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stefonzolesky/pseuds/stefonzolesky
Summary: So they end up at Wheeler’s house, and he’s definitely there, but he’s definitely ignoring them, so in a state of slight panic and bad judgement, Danny chucks a rock at his window and yells “Anson Wheeler, open the fucking door!”





	clinging to your late night courage

Augie, for all his energy, can easily mature in situations that call for it. That’s what Danny finds out the night after his wedding. He and Beth go to dinner, and they only invite the people closest to them. Beth invites her friends that Danny has met but can never remember the names of, and Danny invites Wheeler, Ronnie by extension, Augie, and Sarah. 

It’s a little chaotic, with Augie and Sarah occasionally slipping into medieval dialects and Wheeler and Ronnie swearing and talking about tits left and right while shoveling food into their mouths. Beth and her friends seem a little uncomfortable, but it’s the most fun that Danny has had in awhile.

It goes by quickly, though, and before he knows it, Augie is pulling him aside to get in one last word before he has to leave.

“You couldn’t do this in front of everyone?” Danny raises an eyebrow. He leans against the wall because the chairs in the restaurant hurt his back.

Augie looks nervous. “I can’t do that, no.”

Danny flicks his eyes over Augie and notes his body language, his fingers are bouncing on his thigh, and he looks like if he were to step closer to Danny he would burn. His cheeks are red and his eyes are downcast. Danny sighs. “What’s up?”

“I…” Augie pauses. “I think I’m gonna break up with Sarah.”

“What?” Danny’s eyebrows furrow together. “Why? I thought you really liked her.”

“So did I.” Augie laughs sadly. “Yeah, no, I just… She wants to move in together, because I’m looking for apartments now, my parents want me to leave now that I’m gonna be nineteen… And sure, I care about her, but I don’t want to live with her, and-- How did you know that you wanted to marry Beth?”

“I don’t think I’m a good source on this one, man.” Danny runs a hand through his hair. “And you’re only eighteen, so you-- you shouldn’t be thinking about whether or not you want to marry Sarah, just if you want to spend time with her now.”

Augie squeezes his eyes shut, growing more and more frustrated by the second. “Danny, I  _ don’t _ love her. I don’t think I could if I wanted to. And I  _ really _ want to.”

“Why? What’s the problem?” Danny questions, genuine concern in his voice.

Augie doesn’t open his eyes. He looks frustrated, like he knows what he wants to say but he can’t quite get the words out of his mouth. After a moment of struggle, he blurts, “I think I’m gay.”

Danny blinks hard. Augie looks like he’s about to throw up. “Really?”

“Really?” Augie laughs. “Are you seriously asking me that? I wouldn’t tell you if I wasn’t serious, Danny. Who the fuck do you think I am?”

“Wheeler used to fake coming out to me all the time about a year into working together,” Danny reasons. “But he actually turned out to be bi, so there’s that…” He quickly realizes where he’s headed with the story and pulls himself away from the tangent. “I mean -- sorry. Augie, that’s great. I’m glad you told me.” Pause. “Does anyone else know?”

Augie scoffs. “Do you really expect me to have told anyone else? You know how my parents are, and besides you and them, the only other people I talk to are... Sarah and, like, sometimes Wheeler.”

Danny ponders that for a second. “So… So, I’m the first person you told?” He waits for Augie’s confirmation, and then lamely pumps his fist. “Awesome!”

Augie rolls his eyes. “Whatever, Danny, I just -- I need your help.”

“What, right now?” Danny studies Augie’s face. “I mean, it’s not like I have anything else to do. Let me… can I tell Beth?”

“Uh…” Augie weighs the situation. “Yeah, I guess, just… don’t make a big deal out of it or anything.”

“I won’t,” Danny promises. “Just let me tell Beth why I won’t be coming home, and then you can catch me up to speed on… whatever.”

 

So he does. He explains to Beth as quickly as he can, and promises her that he will at least be home tomorrow. She’s quiet; doesn’t ask too many questions. He can tell that she trusts him. 

Augie is pacing outside the restaurant when Danny kisses Beth goodbye outside. She smiles warmly at him and awkwardly ducks her head on the way to her car.

Danny shoves his hands in his pockets and Augie stops pacing once Beth is gone. “Was she cool?”

“Yeah, she was cool.” Danny grins. “I wouldn’t have married her if she wouldn’t be cool about that. Are you driving?”

Augie mumbles “yeah” under his breath and starts walking towards his car. “Sarah and I drove separately. I think she might be catching on.”

“Have you been acting weird or anything?” Danny asks innocently. Augie shrugs.

“I don’t know,” He admits. “Maybe?”

“Don’t let on until you’re ready to tell her,” Danny warns. “Even if it turns out you’re just bi, or whatever. I mean, I’m sure Sarah isn’t like this, but a few years ago, Wheeler dated this girl called Dixie, and he let on that he liked guys, and she totally dumped his ass.”

“Way to make me feel better,” Augie grumbles, kicking a rock in his path. “Even if I’m  _ not _ gay, Sarah is gonna dump me. Way to go.” He gets in the car and the door slams a little. Danny makes a mental note to watch what he says.

The ride is oddly quiet, more like when Danny and Augie first met, and Augie was too scared to talk most of the time.

“Don’t be so weird,” Danny tells him. Augie shrugs. He doesn’t say anything, so Danny turns on the radio. “Where are we going?”

Augie shrugs. “How am I supposed to figure this out?”

“We could talk to Wheeler?” Danny doesn’t actually think that it’s a sound plan, but it’s the only idea he has. “Sometimes he can give good advice, when he isn’t talking about ‘shooting your shot’ and tits, or whatever.”

 

So they end up at Wheeler’s house, and he’s definitely there, but he’s definitely ignoring them, so in a state of slight panic and bad judgement, Danny chucks a rock at his window and yells “Anson Wheeler, open the fucking door!” 

And Wheeler does open the door, shirtless and in his boxers. “What?” He groans, leaning heavily against the frame.

“We’ve got a problem,” Danny says, and Wheeler rolls his eyes, but he lets them inside.

 

The visit starts off with Augie and Danny awkwardly sitting on Wheeler’s couch and staring at him in silence, while Wheeler stares right back at them from his recliner, his eyes lidded.

“What do you  _ want?” _ Wheeler finally insists. “It’s, like, ass o’clock. I’m tired.”  

Danny nudges Augie, giving a look that tries to say,  _ “Do you want to ask him, or should I?” _ and Augie only shrugs, so Danny goes ahead.

“Augie thinks that he might be gay,” Danny says, looking at Wheeler pointedly. “And you and I both know you’re the  _ expert _ at figuring out your sexuality--” Wheeler snorts, and Danny turns to Augie for a second. “He kissed me,” He explains, pointing a finger at Wheeler. “When he was trying to figure out his sexuality.”

“It was gross,” Wheeler says tiredly. “Danny used to be a horrible kisser.”

“That’s how you figured it out?” Augie finally pipes up, breaking out of the shell he drew back into for the night.

Wheeler nods. “How old are you?”

Augie shifts. “Almost nineteen.”

“Then my conscience is entirely clear.” Wheeler yawns, stretches out a little, and then gestures for Danny to move out of the way so he can sit next to Augie. Danny obliges, and Wheeler points a finger at his friend momentarily. “Don’t give me shit about this, I’m trying to be the best help that I know how to be.”

And then Wheeler has his lips on Augie’s, and it’s kind of weird for Danny to watch, almost a little gross, but they both look  _ totally into it. _ Just thinking about Augie trying to talk to Sarah about this confirmed suspicion gives Danny a headache.

The thing about it is, Wheeler is very visibly a good kisser, and Danny’s face is growing warmer by the second, so it’s a little too late that he coughs and says, “Okay, that’s enough.”

Wheeler laughs into the kiss and allows for Augie to pull away first. When he’s ready. How considerate. Danny has to try not to fume for reasons that are honestly completely unknown to him.

“So that’s the tipping point,” He says. Augie nods. “That’s where you realize,” He says. Augie nods again.

Wheeler mumbles something like “I’m gonna pass the fuck out” and leaves with the blanket from his couch draped over his shoulders.

Danny stares at Augie, who watches him go. After a second, he speaks up. “When are you gonna tell Sarah?”

Augie bites down on his lip. “I’ll tell her at LAIRE. I’ll kill her, and if I can manage to do that, I can tell her.”

“Good plan,” Danny says. “You ready to head home?”

Augie frowns. “Yeah. I think my parents thought I would be back sooner.”

Danny smiles and ruffles Augie’s hair playfully in a way that always manages to piss the kid off. He hurries to fix his hair as he steps outside of Wheeler’s house.

 

The drive is quiet up until just as they’re pulling up to Danny’s house. Augie parks the car.

“Thanks,” He says. “For helping me out.”

Danny smiles as he unbuckles his seatbelt. “Anytime.”


End file.
